


Can't Help Falling In Love

by littlemisstpk



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Hanahaki Disease, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 05:57:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20237881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisstpk/pseuds/littlemisstpk
Summary: Hinata never expected to fall for Tsukishima, but it happened.Written for Tsukihina Week 2019 Day 3: Hanahaki AU





	Can't Help Falling In Love

**Author's Note:**

> I figure if I'm going to shamelessly steal a song title for a fic title, I should give a link to YouTube.
> 
> This one is Elvis Presley, ["Can't Help Falling In Love." ](https://youtu.be/vGJTaP6anOU)
> 
> Fun fact, when I get stuck writing Hinata's POV, I listen to 50s and 60s rock and roll.

The first time that Hinata Shouyou had any clue that he had feelings for the irritable Tsukishima Kei, he was in the Shiratorizawa gym, watching the other first years play while he was their ball boy. Tsukishima had invited him the day before to help with blocking practice, and Shouyou's heart skipped a beat at the thought of playing volleyball in general. His heart decided to do gymnastics in his chest when his eyes skimmed over Tsukishima in particular, which made him conclude that it wasn't  _ just _ volleyball making his heart skip beats. 

Shouyou first saw the flowers directly after their loss to Kamomedai at Nationals, coming out of the bathroom to round a corner to where Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were crying in each other's arms. Shouyou was surprised at this level of emotion on Tsukishima's face, but his chest tightened as Yamaguchi framed his best friend's face with his hands and kissed the tears away. It was tender, and it looked like it was exactly what Tsukishima needed, because he pulled Yamaguchi closer, and deepened the kiss. 

Shouyou ran around the corner back into the bathroom, and the fully formed purple flowers that erupted from his mouth stung and tingled on the way out. After he had caught his breath, Shouyou picked up the driest, cleanest bloom, and stuck it in his club jacket pocket to later identify it. He rested his head on the cool porcelain, his chest still tight, trying to find an equilibrium once again. 

He stood to wash his hands, and Shouyou had just gotten his hands under the water when Kageyama burst through the door. "We're about to go back to the inn." Shouyou smiled back at his friend, a poor imitation of of his normal fare. He wordlessly shuffled behind Kageyama, ready for the day to be over. 

* * *

Back at the inn, Shouyou approached Suga with the flower he had vomited back at the stadium. The shoujo manga that his sister loved to read (and regale to him later) absolutely adored the idea of Hanahaki disease, the wasting away due to unrequited love. The manga always loved the idea of the flowers meaning something about the relationship, so Shouyou took a risk and tried to identify the unknown flower. Unlike himself, Suga had a smartphone, and previously showed discretion at his turbulent feelings when he had fought with Kageyama. 

"Suga-san, can you help me figure out what his is?" Shouyou gingerly held out the now-dry flower. The purple trumpet shape had just started to spread into a five point star, and Shouyou's first thought was that it was strikingly pretty, just like Tsukishima's face when he wasn't actively insulting anyone. 

Suga took the flower, confusion evident on his face. The initial confusion turned to horror as Suga understood the gravity of the situation. "Hinata, why are you holding belladonna?" At Shouyou's confused face, Suga took his phone, and within a few taps, found a picture of the exact flower in his hand. "You do know it's poisonous, right?" 

"It's not like I wanted to puke them up, okay?" Shouyou snatched the flower back, an air of petulance surrounding him. The plant that had recently taken root in his chest had relaxed at his fury just enough to breathe, but not enough to forget its existence. 

Suga's face softened at Shouyou's outburst. With slightly wet eyes filled with pity, he ruffled Shouyou's hair with a roughness that he hadn't guessed would have been possible from the older setter when they had first met. Now, Shouyou was used to it, and took it for the affection as it was meant. 

* * *

Without the Spring Tournament on the horizon, the third years retired to focus on studying for their university entrance exams. It left the club significantly smaller, making it hard to avoid Tsukishima in their near-daily practices. Still, Kageyama was a godsend, sending him toss after toss in the second gym after hours, until Shouyou's mind was almost cleared of the tall middle blocker. 

This strategy mostly worked, except Kageyama couldn't toss to him during class, and Shouyou's mind consistently wandered to Tsukishima when it should have been paying attention to English, math, or whatever subject was being taught at any given moment. It became his norm to go to the bathroom in between classes, not because he had a pea-sized bladder (though that was still the case), but because he couldn't direct his thoughts away from his tallest teammate. He didn't need to do an internet search to recognize the wisteria that was similar to the tree blossoms so close to his own backyard, but he became adept at the subtleties of identifying the stinging flowers he would vomit; the laceflowers, the poinsettas and the hyacinth creating a beautiful but poisonous bouquet. 

Still, it hurt him every time that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi brushed up against each other, because that meant it wasn't him. It was subtle, and looking back, Shouyou supposed nothing had actually changed, but now that he  _ knew _ , it didn't fail to call forth the flowers. 

He barely scraped a pass on his exams to be able to join the March Regional tournament, the extremely localized affair giving the volleyball players a proverbial carrot on a stick to get through exams. It was due to Yachi's gentle tutoring and Kageyama's slaps to Shouyou's head for the knowledge to sink in for long enough to pass his tests. 

As he entered the Sendai Municipal Gymnasium, the smell of Air Salonpas, normally scent that ramped him up in anticipation for what was to come, instead constricted his airways to the point where he could barely breathe. Shouyou took a small moment and walked over to the board announcing the tournament brackets, and it soothed him to see the familiar name of "Date Tech" next to Karasuno's for the first round. It was nerve-wracking to play such a strong team from the get-go, but it allowed him to temporarily forget the specific set of teammates behind him. 

In the months after Nationals, Yamaguchi had taken a leaf out of Inuoka's book and started training to become a wing spiker. He had devoted the same amount of attention to learning the position as he had done with his jump floater serves, enough that instead of Kinoshita being on the court, it was him. It also meant that when Shouyou was on the back line, he saw Yamaguchi and Tsukishima standing closely together in between rallies, and the air going to his lungs became even more thin. 

It was deep into the second set that Dateko served the ball towards Karasuno, and Shouyou managed to get in the path of the ball. The hypoxic fog clouding his brain pushed him too close to the net, and instead of the ball bouncing nicely off his forearms, it struck him directly in the middle of his chest. It curved nicely toward Kageyama who tossed it to Tanaka for a point, but Shouyou crumpled like a house of cards, and couldn't bring himself to his feet again. 

The gym swirled as calla lilies burst forth from his mouth, and Shouyou was pulled to his feet by Kageyama. The world spun violently, but he was able to make out the concerned faces of Koganegawa amidst the sea of Dateko players, the faint scream of Yachi on the bench, until his eyes rested on Tsukishima's terrified face. Takeda rushed out onto the court as Narita rushed in to take his place. 

Takeda guided Shouyou through the twisty bowels of the complex, yammering something about irresponsibility in his ear as he did his best to keep upright, which was made difficult by how he could feel the earth's motion with every guided step. It didn't take long for the two to reach the infirmary, the nurse in charge examining him for injuries beyond the plant growing in his chest. He was quickly given an oxygen mask when the vines surrounding his lungs were visible from Shouyou's open mouth. 

It was not long after that Ukai joined Shouyou and Takeda in the small examination room, a somber expression on his face. Shouyou did not need to hear the words in order to know that Karasuno had lost the game. It heartened him that Ukai was here, wondering how he was doing, rather than out with the rest of the team. 

Shouyou slipped off the examination table, using the piece of medical equipment to steady himself. He slipped the oxygen mask off his face, and taking a few tentative steps towards the door, Shouyou deemed himself steady enough to walk to the main exit under his own power. He knew what he needed to do, it was just a matter of doing it. 

When he triumphantly arrived in the lobby, flanked by the adults, Shouyou defiantly brushed past the group as he strode confidently to the team bus. Kageyama loped towards him, and the press of the setter's hand on Shouyou's shoulder helped make his steps steadier. He didn't need consoling words that didn't actually work to make him feel better, but the support of his best friend filled his chest with hope instead of the suffocation he had been harbouring for the past several months.

As the team unpacked in the club room, Kageyama stayed protectively close to Shouyou, hovering and glaring at anyone who dared approach his best friend. With a quick, "I'm fine," Shouyou dismissed his friend as he sucked in a breath, steeling himself to what he needed to do. 

As the bulk of the team left the room, only the soon-to-be first years stayed behind. Steeling his gaze, Shouyou sucked in a small-if-inefficient breath as he rose to his feet. 

"Tsukishima, we need to talk." 

Tsukishima looked a little bewildered at this statement, but just as he was urging Yamaguchi to leave him alone, Shouyou was shooing Kageyama away. It took some doing, but finally Shouyou was in room alone with the object of his affections, and the source of most of his recent pain. 

Breaking the silence, Tsukishima said, "It's me, isn't it?" The defeated tone in the other boy's voice made Shouyou's heart tighten with fear. 

"Yeah, it is." The pressure in his chest at being able to admit his feelings to the actual person was nearly indescribable, but Shouyou managed to stay on his feet as he stared Tsukishima down. 

Tsukishima's face contorted in apology, as he glanced towards the door. "I'm sorry, I can't. I'm seeing someone else." Tears welled in Shouyou's eyes as he had gotten his initial wish, that Tsukishima had let him down gently. 

The pressure in his chest became suffocating, and as Shouyou fell sharply to his knees, small blooms of pink flowers looking vaguely like hearts burst forth from his mouth, and as he kept coughing, green, woody stems dotted with blood came out in agonizing slow retches. Shouyou was only faintly aware of the door opening, and of Tsukishima's yelling toward Kageyama, his vision dotting with black until he finally lost consciousness. 

When he woke up, it was to Kageyama and Noya looking relieved, and as Shouyou breathed in his first unrestricted breath in months, he smiled at his senpai and friend. The pain that the plant had left would linger and sting, reminding Shouyou of his foolishness and selfishness, but by the time the next joint training camp with Nekoma arrived, he met a wide smile that mirrored his own. 

Everything was going to be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to come scream with me about HQ in general, when I'm not on Discord, I'm found on [Twitter. ](https://twitter.com/littlemisstpk?s=09) I live off of validation.


End file.
